Rauf Denktaş, the late founder of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), was commemorated on the 7th anniversary of his death with a photography exhibition opened in his memory and a conference titled “Cyprus Today and Tomorrow After Denktaş.”
The exhibition, hosted by Mutratpaşa Municipality and curated by Cem Kar and Mine Çeliker, opened in the foyer of the service building. TRNC Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Zorlu Töre, Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal, TRNC Consul General in Antalya Mustafa Kemal Beyazbayram, and representatives of the Turkish Cypriot Cultural Association jointly cut the ribbon.
MESSAGE FROM DENKTAŞ’S SON
A message from Rauf Denktaş’s son, Serdar Denktaş, was also read at the photography exhibition, which tells the story of the struggle for freedom and features works selected from the private archive in Denktaş’s former office in Nicosia, now converted into a museum, with special permission from his family.
In his message, Serdar Denktaş spoke admiringly of his father’s struggle to secure freedom for Turkish Cypriots and his passion for photography. Denktaş said, “At this exhibition, you will find an abridged history of a people’s struggle for existence and freedom, seen through the life of a hero who devoted his life to a cause—my father, our father.” He thanked Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal for hosting the exhibition and the people of Antalya for their interest.
HE DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO THE CAUSE
Recalling that a park in Antalya had been named “Rauf Denktaş,” that he was commemorated there every year on the anniversary of his death, and that events were held in his memory, Muratpaşa Mayor Ümit Uysal continued: “Some people knowingly and willingly devote themselves to a cause. And as they do so, they do not falter in the face of any threat. Rauf Denktaş was someone who devoted his life to a cause, to the struggle for independence. His life, with its ups and downs, will be an example to our younger generations. We remember him with the deepest respect and reverence. Denktaş was also a photographer, but not an ordinary one. Art was also an integral part of his life.”
DREW ATTENTION TO THE DANGER
TRNC Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Zorlu Töre also said, “Rauf Denktaş was such a great statesman and hero that he devoted himself not to his family, but to the Turkish nation. He would always say, ‘We got to where we are today by giving life for life and blood for blood.’”
THE TRNC IS ENTRUSTED TO US BY THE MARTYRS Following the exhibition opening, a conference titled “Cyprus Today and Tomorrow After Denktaş” was held in the Muratpaşa Municipality Cultural Hall. The speaker was Zorlu Töre, Deputy Speaker of the TRNC Assembly. Töre spoke about the suffering and oppression endured by Turkish Cypriots before Turkish troops landed on the island, and about Rauf Denktaş’s struggle for independence alongside the fighters. “From the moment Turkish troops landed on the island at dawn, we attained our freedom. We are now an independent state, a republic. The TRNC is entrusted to us by our martyrs,” he said.
Retired Senior Colonel Cihangir Ertek, who served during and after the Cyprus Peace Operation, also shared his recollections. After the speeches, Zorlu Töre, Deputy Speaker of the TRNC Assembly, presented the TRNC flag to the Turkish Cypriot Cultural Association in Antalya, and a commemorative photograph was taken around the flag.